Friday, July 26, 2019
Vol. 79, No. 30
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Park renamed in honor of lunar landing anniversary BY GARY SIMEONE
Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino (standing center right), Councilman Steve Labriola (standing center left) joined with local officials, Grumman retirees, community members, representatives from the Cradle of Aviation and Grumman Studios at a special community celebration held in recognition of the 50th Anniversary of Neil A. Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin taking humanity’s first steps on the moon.
National Night Out event at mall
Nassau County Legislator Arnold W. Drucker (D – Plainview) is partnering with the Nassau County Police Department to host National Night Out at Broadway Commons in Hicksville on Tuesday, Aug. 6. Held in thousands of communities each year on the first Tuesday in August, National Night Out is an initiative that seeks to promote “police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neigh-
borhoods safer, more caring places to live.” National Night Out enhances relationships between law enforcement and communities by bringing police and residents together in a fun, welcoming atmosphere. In addition to the Nassau County PD and Broadway Commons, partners and sponsors include New York State Senators Anna Kaplan and Kevin Thomas; the Office of the Nassau County District Attorney; Nassau Coun-
ty Legislator Joshua Lafazan; the Nassau County Police Detectives Association, The Safe Center LI, Pride for Youth and India Day Parade USA Inc. There will be free food, giveaways, informational materials and fun, family-friendly activities for all ages. Northwell Health’s Plainview and Syosset Hospitals are sponsoring a “Teddy Bear Clinic” to teach children the basics of first aid.
It was a quite a special ceremony in Bethpage last Thursday as the community celebrated the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. A park in the town was renamed Apollo Park in honor of the building of the lunar modules at the former Grumman facility, and a replica of the Lunar Module was on hand for everyone to see. Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino and Town Councilman Steve Labriola, along with other local officials and Grumman retirees, were on hand for the ceremony. “It’s a celebration today of the wonderful, national impact that took place fifty years ago,” said Town Supervisor Saladino, referring to astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin’s first steps on the moon. “It is an impact that brought so much pride to America and this is a way to celebrate the people of our town and community who helped bring us there.” The location of the newly named Apollo Park is off of Hickey Boulevard near the Apollo of Bethpage Retirement Home. Many of the retirees living at the home were instrumental in helping get the Apollo Program off the ground in the late 1960s. “Many of the people here worked on the Apollo Program and there were thousands of people at Grumman working around the clock to accomplish the goal of walking on
the moon,” said Jim Stefanich, Town Receiver of Taxes. “I myself was already out of college for two years, working as a Down Link Specialist on the lunar module system. It was a fantastic experience working with the professionals who put this together this whole thing. It was something that was never done before, helping to get men on the moon.” Andrew Parton, president of the Cradle of Aviation Museum and Education Center in Garden City, helped bring a replica of the lunar module to the park. He said that when people think about the moon landing only the names of Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins come to mind. “When going back in history, you always hear about these three men who landed on the moon. People tend to forget about all of you here who worked at Grumman, who were such a big part of why we successfully landed on the moon.”
The Lunar Module display at Apollo Park
Summer science inquiry in Levittown PAGE 4 District appoints new asst. director PAGE 3